blind zeal and enviy cannot receive it Concerning Free Will. THere is no Will free for God but that which is free from sinne which Will Man lost in the Fall when he let in the Will of the Devil and entred into it wherein Man became in bondage And all that man in that state knows of the free Will is that which moves in him against the Will of the flesh and of the Devil which is seen in the Light of Christ And this is the Will of God whereby he willeth not the death of the sinner And this Will of God is manifest according to the Spirit which is free always moving contrary to the Will of the flesh which is in bondage to the Devil And this Will that is free onely those who abide in the light do feel the moving of it present in the Spirit And as the Spiritual man is quickned by the Word of God and that man born which is not of the flesh nor of the will of it so is that Will seen again in man which is free wherein the Creature is made free from the Will of the flesh which is bondage So the Spiritual man hath the Spiritual Will which is free and that is from above And the Carnal man which is from below his Will keeps in bondage who is contrary to God in all things So the first born hath not the Free-Will for who is born after the flesh thereof is kept in bondage but who is begotten again of the Word from above is free born when he is born who is born of the Spirit for where the Spirit of the Lord is there is liberty but where the Spirit of the World is there is bondage for as is the Man so is his Will So with the light of Christ which shows you the thoughts of the heart if you it diligently mind you may see the two motions of the two Wills each contrary to other the one after the flesh the other after the spirit So whether of these Wills thou art servant to that thou may be said to have and to the other thou art an enemy for no man hath Free-Will further then he is joyned to it though he that is in his own Will may feel the Will of God contrary to him and that Will he is in yet can he not come to it untill he own that which leads him to take up the Cross to his first Will and in the Cross to his own Will is he born who hath the Will of God wherein God worketh to Will and to do of his good pleasure in the Male and in the Female even the plant of God who hath the will of God the mind of God the heart of God as in measure he is formed it the Creature So man hath not free will further then he is free-bor from above of the Seed that sinneth not and the growth in that Seed is mans freedom but while this lies under the Earthly Will and Self thereby it is denied though the Free-will may often move in the Creature to Holiness and be felt in the light of Christ as a Tender of healing yea and would lead to holiness healing were it minded obeyed for that will which is of God onely leads to God by which Will we are sanctified and saved but you that stand in the Will of the flesh resists and so you will not come to me that you may have life for the Will of God which is life is free and freely tendered in Christ Jesus to every Creature and in the light which reproves the evil deeds it is seen but they that resist free grace resist free will for that 's free grace which shews a man his sin and reproves for it which would lead to God and to deny all ungodliness and worldly lusts and so to live godlily righteously and soberly in this evill world And that 's free Will which wills not that thou should commit sin which Will is that thou should not die So mans destruction is of himself and self-will by which he resists the Will of God but Salvation is of the Will of God which is free and in the measure of God is this freedom found and enjoyed so that in Christ I have free will but in the flesh is bondage therefore the flesh must be denied by all that will own freedom in will or deed for none hath free Will but who in the light of Christ hath learned to deny their own Wills and such knows that in the first man is neither will nor deed that is free from sin nor for God and his Work or Worship for God hath concluded the whole man under sin that the gift of grace might appear to be free that all might glory in the Lord and the whole treasure be found in him to whom every tongue shall confess when the glory of man shall come to an end to his praise who is blessed for evermore FINIS
nor to hate that which God hates and love that which he loves in any measure but joynes with that which destroyes the soul and devoures the life and yet makes a profession and a prayer against it in words and that 's the pharisee and hypocrite who with the words destroys the life who makes a profession above the life but not in the life and this is he that climeth up some other way then the life which is the doore to which the light leads And in this state are all the high minded lofty ones whose mouths speake of great things swelling words of vanity for so are words without life empty Brasse giving a pleasant voyce to the carnall eare but cannot evidence the life and the works of it who have the Saints words present but their righteousnesse is as far off as Judea Corinth Thessalonica c and these are they who in words confesse God but in works deny him who have a large faith in words but to the good worke reprobate for none can be of any true judgment concerning the work of God who are strangers to the life that workes it Concerning Righteousness THat Righteousness which God accepts is but one which is his own perfectly fulfilled and manifest in the world in Christ Jesus the light and Saviour thereof which Righteousness is not of the world nor manifest to the world nor in the world received but by the world ever Judged as unrighteousness nor can the world inherit it but only they who believe in the light of Christ which God hath given into the world to lead out of the world to Christ where Gods righteousness is And there be many talkers of this righteousness but none inherit it further then by faith they receive the Son of righteousness and with him his righteousness is freely imputed or put into the creature a free gift from the Father and with this righteousness is the creature made righteous even as he is righteous even as the measure of Christ is received and no further and whose life is kept in the measure of him as he is so are we in this present world and not of this world even as he is of not of this world and herein is boldness in the day of Judgment in that which is perfect And all that is not perfect is self and with the righteousness of Christ denied in the light which condemns all self-actings under what pretence soever So who abides in the righteousness abides in that which denies Self and all the world and so lives in obedience to that which is contrary to all mens wills and so every where evil-spoken on for the will of men works not the righteousness of God but this righteousness is wrought into the Creature in that obedience which is contrary to the will of the flesh and in the faith by the eternall Spirit is the new begetting both of the will and the deed and so the new is born of the Spirit and life And so farr as any have this righteousness he doth not lye under sin nor give place to the Divell but it is as a brest-plate against all assaults on the right hand and on the left and all who have not this are they who have that which will not stand in stead in the evil day So you that say your righteousness is as filthy Raggs why do you abide in that Gods righteousness is not so wherefore Cease from that and own that which is perfect even that everlasting righteousness in which his all Saints have been gathered unto himself who can receive nothing but what 's his own and it must be yours also else can you not be received in it In vain do you plow wickedness and sow iniquity and think to reap righteousness So with the light you may see what works in you and to what you yeeld your selves servants to That you bring forth while you live that will go with you so if you own no works in you but what God works you shall have no righteousness but what is perfect even the least measure of it And as you obey unto this righteousness you shall see the Spirituall man raised and living and the bonds of death broken and that living which gives power over hell and death Then may you say the spirit is life because of righteousness and your dead profession will be Judged with the life as it arises and seen to be fruitless But this is blasphemy in your own eyes who have made Christs righteousness a cover for your abominations What wickedness is so vile now in these nations but the righteousness of Christ is made a Cover men blesse themselves there-with in the greatest abomination And this hath its beginning at the head of deceit and is gone over all the whole body For to cover your own wickedness pride and covetuousness have you teachers invented this faith That its sufficient to believe in a righteousness you read of in the letter through you be not obedient to it in Spirit But you that are not servants of Righteousnesse are no servants of Christs and his Workes and your Faith without his Works will be little worth to Salvation and even as it saves you out of sinne so will it save you out of condemnation and no further And this that in your Conscience will witnesse if you take counsel at it no further then you find the power of his righteousnesse working in you and you owning it in obedience and subjection and joyning to it against all unrighteousnesse no more of it you can inherit nor be made the righteousnesse of God in him And at that day when he comes to separate the precious from the vile then will you see in what stead your notions of righteousness are when the Worker of iniquity is found and judged with Christs righteousnesse of which you have been boasting in words without the power of it By the power and purity of it shall all the workers of iniquity be judged and condemned So deceive not your selves He that workes righteousness is righteous even as he is righteous but he that talks of this and commits sin is of the Devil and with him must inherit by whom he is acted and guided for Gods righteousness will not mixe with nor cover deceipt nor was it ever given for that purpose but as it is obeyed it reveales and destroys mans righteousness and unrighteousnesse as it is revealed from Faith to Faith by which the just lives and the unjust perisheth and passeth into death And all who have Christs righteousnesse can witnesse this effect to kill and make alive as by Faith it is received and this is Zions righteousnesse that goes forth as brightnesse and the Salvation thereof as a Lamp that burneth that the Gentiles may see it and its glory Be ashamed you Heathens who have hid the Lords righteousnesse under your Pride and Covetousnesse who have exalted the Idols of the World and bring forth to the Oppressor who
And in the time of such governors hath the Lambe borne testimony in much patience meekenesse and long suffering bearing all the venom and envie that the Serpent could cast out upon him where he was manifest in the creature for a witnesse against all such rulers that his long suffering might lead them to repentance and leave them without excuse in the day of his wrath and against such is he finishing his testimony at this day And a blinder generation never was in any age who have run from all tendernesse so far into that wisdom that many are grown wholly past feeling imprisoning whipping and torturing their brethren for such things as never any age of persecution can paralell And it must needs be so for as every generation of that seed growes more subtill so to the things of Christ more blind and deafe So that its rare to find one who hath an eare to heare oppression but not one whose heart is perfect to deny the worlds favour to beare witnesse against the ground of oppression so the just man perisheth and none layes it to heart nor can any lay it to heart whose hearts are filled with selfish passion and selfe will for none can rule for God whose heart is not ruled by God but when the Lord rules in the heart then the just raignes and the cause of the just is heard and he that rules for the just rules for God and with God over the unjust first in himself then in all the world otherwise though an unjust Judge may heare the cause of the poore in some case or time yet it is not for God nor from obedience to the Spirit of Judgment which is of God the heart being filled with self ends So that he that is a selfe lover or proud or covetous or respects gifts or rewards cannot rule for God nor he that respects persons cannot rule for God nor with God who is no respecter of persons but only hath respect to such as walk in obedience to that just principle of himself nor such as seeke for honour from men cannot rule for God for such are out of the faith of Christ and in the unreasonable nature seeking the praise of men and so cannot have the praise of God for the friendship of the world is enmity with God and he that seeks the one loses the other And such as are out of the feare of God cannot rule for God for such are subject to be drawne with feare or favour of men from the just principle of God out of which none can rule for God And herein is the cleare difference betwixt Heathens and Christians The one exercise Justice and Judgment and righteousnesse which is of God and in his will whereby they rule over all unrighteousnesse of men of corrupt minds and principles whatsoever and stand in the authority of God a terror to the evill doer The other execise Lordship over mens persons in their own wills which they set up in their selfish principle in carnall pollicy who lay the sword upon the just as on the unjust if he bow not to their wills which who stands in the will of God may not do and so they that abide in the feare of God do ever suffer by such as are out of his feare And though these be set in their places by the permission or appointment of God yet not knowing him who ordereth all things to order them though they are restrained from evill or made to do his will yet have they no reward nor share in it not doing it in obedience to God nor from a principle of equity not knowing Christ guiding and leading them therein they are no Christians what-ever they may call themselves And to such as these who mind not that of God to governe withall hath God sent his servants to testifie to their faces of their departure from the just principle and so cannot please God with his government yet did they never plot against them nor murmur which if they did heare they rejoyced to see them established as a blessing to the place and people which the people of God ever seeke to God for but if they heare not then they are made to mourne that God should be grieved and his Creature lost especially in such a place by which God may be so dishonoured and a Nation or Towne plagued from the Lord for his sake who hath the sword of God in his hand and suffers sin but punishes the innocent both which the Lord will revenge and seldom but the place where it is done tastes thereof which such as rule with God and for him prevent yea by such the peace hath beene lengthned after the Judgment hath beene pronounced So when the righteous raignes God is honoured and good men rejoyce but when wickednesse gets up in the King then the Lord is dishonoured and the glory departs Concerning Obedience SPiritual and living obedience is not that of mans way and will wherein men and women in the firstbirth and wisdom therein read the Scriptures and there find what the Saints performed in the Spirit and power of the Lord Jesus and from that set themselves on work to do the like and so make an imitation instead of obedience and set up selfe works instead of Christs works and obey selfe righteousnesse instead of Gods righteousnesse and so cover themselves with filthy Raggs instead of ever lasting righteousnesse But all who will know true obedience must first know a measure of Gods Spirit in the light of Jesus and therein moveing and drawing towards Christ Jesus wherein the faith is which laies hold on Gods righteousnesse which is in Christ Jesus and by the moving of this Spirit in the light the truth is seene and the obedience that is one in Christ Jesus the second Adam And as the Creature is joyned in the light to that Spirit of Christ and in believing there is the life of Jesus made manifest quickning the body unto that one obedience which is contrary to the will of man and the mind being kept spirituall in the measure the seed is raised and the new is borne of that Spirit to which seed the promise and power is wherein the creature is joyned heire with Christ Jesus who is Gods righteousnesse and so in the faith is the glad tydings of good things preached to the soule and by the power of the Gospel preached to the creature the righteousnesse of God is revealed from faith to faith and the just lives in that faith and Christ is manifest for obedience to the faith and all that are in this faith are in the one obedience which is in Christ Jesus which he learned of the Father for us that in that obedience many may be made righteous and all that learnes Christ learnes his obedience which was not what he see or heard from men but what he saw and heard of the Father not in his own time or will but in the Fathers nor in his own strength could
they come to receive in their hearts onely such come into the good work and will of God For without the Word was nothing made nor without it can any be redeemed For it is the Word of the Lord heard and received that quickens the Dead and raises to Life that which is dead in the trespasses and sins and the Spiritual man being quickned the power of the Word brings forth in him the work of Gods righteousnesse which was from everlasting which in the measure thereof confirms the Creature unto God in righteousnesse who lost the Image in unrighteousnesse and so is the Creature renewed in the Spirit of the mind and inward parts to receive wisdom and power in the hidden man how to escape the evil and resist it and to bring to light what God begets in the heart and so the new Creature is seen created in Christ Jesus unto good works to walk therein as was fore-ordained And as the Believer is found diligent in the light waiting and in the Spirit obedient to this work in this work he comes still more to learn Gods Power and Teaching and Christs obedience and Gods wisdome and care over him in leading into the sufferings and tribulations tryals and temptations and the Faith and Fellowship with Christ therein in which if the creature stand not a hair can fall but he is sure to come out more pure then gold and so in all this work he grows in the knowledge of Christ and his Sonship toward the measure and stature and fulnesse of the perfect man into the likenesse of God And thus the Saints were made conformable to God by his mighty working whereby he wrought powerfully in them after his good pleasure contrary to their fleshly pleasures And what is thus wrought is good because it comes from the Fountain of all good and this is not a new work but the everlasting good work of God manifest to the Creature and through the Creature to the World by which God is glorified who is the Father and Author and Finisher thereof in every one that believes And this is no self-work nor can it be wrought in any but where self is denyed and a Crosse to self taken up so boasting is excluded the Creature having nothing but what he hath received neither by his own Will nor Deed but by believing in the Light and in obedience of Faith And with this Faith and Work are all the world judged who are in their own works and all that are without works whose Faith is dead and to every good work reprobate And whose works are their own their prayers are abomination where the Works come not from this one everlasting Work and Workings For though there be many Works as to the Creatures obedience and measures yet they all compleat but this one work of the Creatures Redemption and Gods praise therein the beginning and end of all And of this work of God is all the world ignorant who are preaching pressing and acting their good works as they call them but all their works do not manifest a Power that brings them out of sinne and the worlds Conformity and service thereof in his ways and worship but every good work of God in his Saints who become obedient to his working as they subject to bring forth the good work and will of God every work begets the Creature nearer to God and into his likenesse and nature and this is the reward of good works to every one who are exercised therein that thereby they are wrought out of the worlds likenesse and conformity and so out of their friendship till all manner of evil they suffer for the name of God that is in them and the nature of his works which is abomination to the Worlds works and the world to them And so their name being cast out as evil among men they are received into the love of the Father of the Work for which they are hated of the world and so the reproach of the world becomes great riches to all who love God and are obedient to his work which none who stands in their own wills can inherit And so self-works and Gods works are manifest in the light The one is that which men see or hear or imagine and so set themselves to imitate the same in their own Wills and Ways which they have conceived in their fallen wisdome and earthly minds not in Spirit new born but in the old letter or tradition from men But Gods works are those which are from everlasting before the Will of Man or the Worlds Customs and therefore must conform to neither but every one who into this Work will come must deny the world and their own Wills and all that is in them must bow and conform to the motion of the Spirit and to its Workings which is seen to such as in the Light dwels and in its way and time must bring forth the fruits of the Spirit in due season not the works of the flesh nor to the flesh but the working of the Spirit to God in the sight of God and the praise of such is not of the world who bring not forth to the World but of God who bring forth to God and the World praises it own Concerning Election and Reprobation THis is that which is Sealed from all the world nor can any know it nor receive it who is in the reprobate state though many be disputing about it in the dark which none know but the children of light So as one who have obtained favour to have this mystery revealed I shall according to permission write a few words as is received in Jesus yet can be received by no mans wisdom nor any who are born after the flesh but who knows what it is to walk in the Spirit shall witness me herein And I deny all of that Spirit who would foolishly Charge God to have concluded the condemnation of some persons before they come into the world and though they seek after God yet they cannot be sayed because God hath purposed the contrary And on the contrary some are concluded to salvation though they live and dye in their sins And this is the Spirit of the world which knowes not the secrets of God revealed in Spirit and therefore judges from the letter from the figures and shadows but knows not the uprightness that lyes in the mystery but being without so he imagins But none knows the purpose of God but who comes to the beginning for in the beginning was the Election and reprobation established by an eternal decree unalterable in the two seeds that after the flesh and that after the Spirit and he that can Judge of these two he knows the two vessels ordained to honour and dishonour and as every one is found in these so is Gods purpose touching them Now in the fall all are in the dishonour and so children of wrath under the curse and â—heirs thereof and so without God or the promise
but could not obtain it And in this state came Nicodemus to Christ but could not enter into the Kingdom in that state nor knew the new Birth though he loved Christ and believed him to be sent of God And this is that state David speaks of when he saith If I regard iniquity God will not hear my prayer And in this state you all are who are worshipping in your carnal minds and sensual wisdome in the flesh But that which is born of the Heavenly is Heavenly Spiritual Eternal and incorruptible which is the state of the New man which of God is begotten of the Divine Nature and as is his Nature so is his Works and so his delights are Spiritual as he is Spiritual for as is the Man so are his Works and as is the Tree so is his Fruit and so he that is born of this Seed is born of God and he that is born of God sins not in whom that Seed remains And all who remain in this Seed and it in them this hath the Promise and Power that puts off the Old Man with his Deeds Lusts and Affections and so the body of sinne being put off through the body of Christ the Redemption is witnessed and as the Creature passeth from the Old to the New so they passe from the Death to the Life for the life is in the new and so the victory is received in the new over sinne the grave and hell which the Worlds Birth talkes of in their fallen Nature but cannot receive the Power and Victory whereby to enter into that Kingdome nor see the glory of it and so takes up their rest and delights in visible things and so encumbers themselves with that the end whereof is destruction which those who are born of the spirit tread upon and cannot set their mindes upon nor bow unto nor be conformable to such vanities And so those who are of the heavenly cannot have communion with the earthly they being contrary minded in all things So that which is wisdom to the one is foolishnesse to the other and ever was So the Spirituall seed could never worship the heathen Gods nor can it bow to their imaginations for that seed which is of God leads the heart upto God and that which is of the earth to earthly things and so those that are the children of God are lead by his spirit of which they are born and the children of this world by the Spirit of this world are Captivated into the worlds wayes and fashions and love of it wherein is the Serpents seate and kingdom in which he rules and wherein his power is seen in all who are disobedient to the light of Christ the new man so being given up because of the blindnesse of their hearts to his power which is alwayes in the dark in such he brings forth his enmity against the babes of God born after the Spirit children of the light of the immortal seed who bear the image of the invisible God and have the Spirituall worship into which they are led and guided with the eternal spirit of which they are born which can no longer stay in any form of worship then God stayes therein but by his Spirit is led to follow him into whatever he goes and out of what ever he departs which those who are born after the flesh and see but the out-side and form and there abides when God is departed such are the seat of Satan become where he sitts and persecutes such as follow the Spirits teaching into its several ministrations And therein hath the serpent beguiled the creature by getting into somewhat of the form once used with the Saints whilst God dwelt therein and to that adds inventions of his own called Decency and Order and the like and with this hath deceived the creatures so as to serve his ends to shed the blood of their bretheren under a pretence of error and blasphemy and denying Ordinances and worships and as being leaders of dangerous Sects and Heresies denying government turning the world upside down and the like So that the childreu of light have been ever numbred amongst transgressors but were never so further then to transgresse the wills of men to observe the will of God yet none of these did ever suffer as well-doers in the worlds accompt but as not worthy to live in the world being born of a principle above the world which the natural man knows not So he that is born after the flesh persecutes him that is born after the spirit as it is at this day thinking they do God service because they know not the Father nor the Son but live in darknesse nor owning that whereof the children of light is born so becomes their enemies And this is your state who resist that measure of light that shines in your dark hearts that shews your evil deeds So being against the light of the Spirit you are enimies to all who of that Spirit are born And so farr as you see the ground root of your disobedience to the light in your selves that reproves of sin so farr you may see the ground of your emnity and no farther And untill you joyn to that light you cannot be one with that seed but hate it for that which is born of the will of the flesh is emnity to that which is born of the will of God and that which is born of God is emnity with the world and conformity to it And with the light are you Judged to be of the flesh who love the things of the flesh and minde them and who conform to this world are of it what ever you professe to the contrary the light will find you out which light leads above all these things up to the Father of light which light is one with all who are born of the Spirit but a witnesse against you who are born of the flesh So they that are in the flesh cannot please God that in your conscience is witness the light which is condemnation But who is born of the Spirit with such he is well pleased the testimony of their conscience bearing them witnesse in the sight of God that they are his Children and born of him and their envy and reproch and suffering from the world for testifing against the deeds thereof are as a cloud of witnesses that they are not of it for it loves its own and so the enmity is seene put betweene the seeds that of the Serpent seeks a word or a forme without whereby to murther and destroy the creature that God hath made under a pretence of serving God but the seed of God strikes at the head of that enmity and roote of sin but saves the work of God alive Concerning the Baptism of Christ from that the world so calls IN the world there be many forts and forms of Baptismes but in Christ there is but one and that is that of the Spirit and this is the Baptisme of Christ and all
shewed us a more excellent way The Light is come and therein have we found Christ Jesus the Guide of his people and the Leader of Ages even the Spirit of Truth which leads into all Truth even into all that God requires the obedience to which is better then Sacrifice And to direct people to this Spirit are we sent that Christ may be all in all who gives power in the Creature to perform in what he leads into that thereby all that believe in the light may learn him who begets the Will and the deed also who is the Author and Finisher of their Faith who look to him alone and to his light that all may see their righteousnesse to be of him alone And by this which we have received of him in Spirit do we all see you who read what the Saints have done by Call from God and from that sets your selves to do the like to be in the Imitation and self-righteousnesse and Will-worship both in this and all other things into which you are not led by the Lord and by a Call from him For this I say that the Father hath given his Son for a Leader and Guide to all Ages and into and out of all Forms at his Will and in his way and time in every Generation And therefore it is that all who know his Will herein cannot endure that any visible thing should be set up to limit his leading in Spirit or his people from following in Spirit So no form we deny into which Christ leads in Spirit but all forms we deny that are used by Men to keep people from following the Spirit for those onely are the Children of God Rom. 8. 14. who are led by the Spirit of God to whom they who are led by the 2 Cor. 4. 6. Letter were ever enemies for it is the Spiritual Ministration that gives the knowledge of God and his Glory and Power and not the literall for he that is born after the flesh hath his way in the visibles but he that is born after the Spirit hath his food the world knows not of and therefore becomes his enemy And in that state you are who takes the shadow to oppose the body which should lead to the body which is the end of the shadow And takes the Letter to oppose the Spirit which Coâ— 2. 16 17 20. is given to declare the sufficiency of the Spirits teaching alone and so pervert the Scriptures out of their place and end which are set to testifie of Christ the Life and End to set them in the place of Christ and Joh. 5. 38 39 40. think to have life in them And this is the errour of the Wicked who are gone into the world sensual not having the Spirit And in this state wherein the Spirit leads not both Scriptures and Ordinances and all other the gifts of God are abused wrested out of their places and made unprofitable And therefore you that take up from the Letter cannot bring forth their fruits who were spiritually called into their several Ministrations therefore your Ordinances are left to you desolate you and they in the world together out of which God is leading his people in Spirit to get himself a Name in such a way as is foolishnesse to your wisdome yet the hidden wisdome of God to the Children of Light who have believed therein And you that use great swelling words crying We deny an Ordinance of God To you I say To neglect that which is altered from what God ordained both in Call Manner and End is no neglecting an Ordinance of God 1. God never called any to baptize but first he called them out of the world and their habitations there to follow Christ as into the Wildernesse which were Prophets and Apostles called immediatly 2. They did not baptize Believers over again with water who had had it because they had it not before in their fashion but they went to disciple Unbelievers Neither did they lay it upon all as of absolute necessity but as they saw it useful and could for bear in case it was idolized 3. Their End was to gather all into One out of all the Shaddows and Ceremonies and Fashions of the World to follow Christ alone as he walked bearing his Crosse daily suffering the spoyling of their goods joyfully and their lives unto death rather than to conform to any but him alone for whose sake they were hated of all men which end how your Baptisms answers let your Pride and Pleasures and Conformity to the world in their Fashions Manners and Worships and upholding thereof your Suits and Contentions about carnal things your Rents and Divisions about outward Forms of Baptisms and Worships and upholding that in others which you know is false by Tythes and Offerings whereby Christ is denyed and the Popish Inventions holden up with much such like I say That these things judge you before all men and the light in your Conscience answers thereto untill the Lord appear to judge your unfaithfulnesse herein Concerning the Lords Supper THis is the thing that all the Worlds Professors are contending about and indeed is of great use and profit to the weak Believers who have not yet seen the Lord for bringing them all into one body and bloud mind and heart and soul and spirit But since the Mystery of Iniquity began to work the Worlds Teachers and Professors having lost their in-dwelling in the body of Christ are run out into the Imaginations and are so far from the life of this as that they have lost the Form and the first Institution as as it was by Christ first performed and appointed and therefore are so far from being thereby made one in the blood of Christ that they are shedding one anothers blood about the Form which they are all out of and have lost and the power also For this was done and instituted by Matth. 26. 26. Christ as they sate at meat and did eat and so often as they did eat and drink thereof they were to do it in remembrance of him shewing his Mar. 14. 22 death till he came 1 Cor. 11. 26. And this was that the Apostles received of the Lord and was so practised in the purity of the Church before they ran into confusion which did continue stedfastly in the Apostles Doctrine and Fellowship breaking bread and prayer daily breaking bread from house to house did eat their meat with gladnesse and singleness of heart in the fear and favour of God And this was to be done at all Seasons when they eat and Act. 2. 41. to the end drank in their eating and drinking they were to do it to the Lord and therein to have Communion with his Body and his Blood and for that 1 Cor. 10. end were to keep themselves pure from all pollution yea when they 15. to the end were to eat with Gentiles they were to partake of the Table of the Lord as
in bondage Concerning Justification Sanctification and Mortification THe wisdom of men in the Fall finding these several words in Scripture hath in their imaginations run them into divisions and separated that which is in one and cannot be devided in the possession for it is one that worketh all these where he is present according to the measure received And this is the just one who by faith lives in the Creature and the Creature in him and so becomes the justifier and sanctifier of all that believe and the mortifier of that nature which is out of the faith and one of these is not alone without the rest For that which sanctifies that mortifies and the same justifies and all that know what it is to have these in the life knows this I know there are a people who have a desire to Heaven more then to holynesse and they lest they should spoyle their Carnal delights have in their brain-imag'nation conceipted a Justification without santification or mortification wresting those Scriptures which condemns the works of the law and therewith they would exclude the righteousnesse of faith also And because the Scripture saith God justifies the ungodly through faith therefore they conclude themselves justified in their ungodlinesse by a fancy which they call faith but are without faith in Christ For that faith which laies not hold upon Gods righteousnesse is not the faith of Christ but a dead thing for so far as any hath the faith of Christ so far it reveals Gods righteousnesse without the law from faith to faith by which righteousnesse of God the just lives and the unjust dies and so justified as they are sanctified and mortified and no further even as the righteousnesse of God without the law is manifest being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets even the righteousnesse of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all that beleive without respect of persons No righteousnesse no faith in Christ but where Gods righteousnesse is unto all and upon all there the belief is witnessed and the faith is shewed by the works which cannot be shewed without the works for that faith that hath not works is dead being alone as the body without the Spirit so is your faith without workes and so is your justification without holinesse and mortification of life And you will find in the end that he that justifies the wicked in you is the same that condemneth the just and they are both abomination to the Lord And this is your state who plead for sin and live in pleasure and wantonly on the earth you slay the just and holy one and save the unjust alive and so know not him that is just who justifies mortifies sanctifies and redeemes who of God is made so to us that in all things we are and have we may glory in him And although the Scriptures mention these three yet not to devide them so as to make people believe they may have one and not all but as to shew the severall effects of that one work of mans redemption all wrought by one thing in the creature For the blood of Christ it washes away the filth and so puts off the old man and mortifies the deeds of that body and so sanctifies and justifies The Spirit it mortifies and sanctifies and justifies now though the Saints named both these it was not to devide them but being one they might declare it by either for none could have the one without the other and all that have them are thereby mortified sanctified and justified yet none of these without the creature being works of faith and not of selfe for by the law of faith is selfe-sanctification self-mortification and self-justification excluded though they who had received the Spirit were called to all these by faith in his blood yet it is the work of God wrought by Christ in the believer and in the light are they called to behold the work of God herein and joyne to it in the faith and obedience thereto being the work of God which he will work in all that beleive in the light that they may receive his Son in whom the promise is and the power to mortification sanctification and justification as by faith he is received from the dead who was delivered for our offences and raised againe for our justification but such who would share in his Justification but not have fellowship in his sufferings and obedience are such as are justified in conceipt but sin raignes and the unjust lives and acts in them and this is selfe that justifies selfe but is not just before God the just being dead in trespasses and sins but God justifies the living and not the dead Therefore the Saints suffered the losse of all things counting them as doung that they might know him and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of his sufferings being made conformable to his death These through death came to the power and fellowship of his resurrection whereby they are justified being raised with him to newnesse of life by faith receiving the gift of Gods righteousnesse and becoming servants thereto and thereby became free from sin and this is true justification where there is no condemnation where the deeds of the flesh are mortified and the creature walks no more after the flesh but after the Spirit for the condemnation is to him that walks after the flesh but he Gal. 5. 16. that walks in the Spirit is justified for he that walks in the Spirit shal not Rom. 8 3 4 fulfill the lusts of the flesh and there is mortification to that nature that breaks the law and the just is seen who fulfils the law in such as walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit So not the hearers of the law are just Rom. 2 13. before God but the doers of the law shall be justified In the first mans state the law is broken and there mortification and sanctification is denyed and there the man would be justified from the guilt of sin but not from the love and power of sin but would have his carnall delights in the world and Heaven also but this is vaine hope and will perish But in the second mans state the law is fulfilled through mortification sanctification Justification of the Spirit And no man can be justified where the just lives not for that by which the just lives is that by which the creature is justified Concerning the Law IN this thing are many people confounded yea all who know not the ministration of the Spirit for such going into the Scriptures and finding the ministration of the Letter and the ministration of the Spirit and themselves being under neither of these but in Notion as they have received it in their imaginations and not from the Mouth of the Lord some say they are under the Law and that it continues still others say but some part of it which is Morall others say nay but it